Staff Reports

Diamond Bar –A resident reported on a social media website that her car was broken into while parked by the Steep Canyon Trail in Diamond Bar.

On May 20, the resident said that her window was shattered and her purse and bag were stolen, even though they were covered in the back seat. The theft occurred within 45 minutes, according to the resident.

She explained that she was more devastated that her kids’ birthday gift cards were in her purse and money for her husband’s birthday was saved in there as well. However, the Diamond Bar community stepped up and offered to help the woman.

A Diamond Bar resident, Raviya Tej, said that her husband owned the Dilliwala Indian Restaurant in Diamond Bar. Tej offered to have the family come to the restaurant so they can celebrate the victim’s husband’s birthday at no charge.

Another Diamond Bar resident, Wes Fuller, went out of his way to drop off a card and a special donation to the woman and her family. Many community members offered support, good thoughts, and prayers to the woman, as well.

To avoid vehicle thefts, view the following tips provided by the Buffalo Police Department:

• Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle: You’d be surprised how often this happens, but individuals leave valuable items in plain sight all the time. If you leave items in your vehicle and they’re visible, the chances your vehicle will get broken into, increase greatly.
• Place items out of sight BEFORE reaching your destination: Someone may be watching when you put your valuables under a seat or in the trunk and the moment you’re gone, a thief could break into your car. So place those items in a safe place before you get to the park, beach, baseball game, etc. Valuable items that thieves target are GPS units, MP3 players, credit cards, money, packages and so forth. If you can’t take the items with you, secure them in a safe place in your vehicle, like a locked glove compartment or your trunk.
• Avoid leaving packages or shopping bags out in the open: Lock them into your trunk, if you have to leave the vehicle unattended. Never open a trunk, fill it full of valuables, close it, and then just walk away.
• Lock ALL of your vehicle’s doors: This is true even if you plan on only being gone for “just a second”. Remember, it only takes seconds to steal items from your car. It’s not uncommon, for thieves to walk down a row of parked vehicles, looking for unlocked doors. Also, make sure car windows aren’t left open.
• Park in busy, well lit areas: Pick a parking spot where there is a lot of activity. Auto thieves prefer breaking into cars in isolated areas.
• Don’t leave a trace: Don’t leave any sign that there might be valuables “out of sight” in your vehicle. For example: the suction cup on your dashboard, might tell thieves, that you have a GPS system in your vehicle. Leave nothing in plain view. Very few auto break-ins are “random”. The thieves usually see something out in the open or hints of possible hidden valuables.
• Alarms or anti-theft devices work: Thieves are usually looking for the “easiest” target. If your car has an alarm, it could act as a deterrent. But don’t make this common mistake: Just because you have an alarm, doesn’t mean thieves won’t break-in, IF you leave valuable items in plain sight.
• Don’t leave spare keys in your vehicle: An experienced thief knows all the hiding places. Store spare keys elsewhere, possibly your wallet or purse.

If you would like to see additional tips from a former car thief, visit http://bluecollarworkman.com/tips-from-a-former-car-thief-on-how-to-protect-your-car/